OWINGS MILLS, Md. The Baltimore Ravens’ contract talks with Lamar Jackson will not be affected by Dak Prescott’s record-breaking deal with the Dallas Cowboys, general manager Eric DeCosta said Tuesday.
“If you go to the Bentley or Range Rover dealer, you know what the cars are going to cost. You don’t get much of a discount, ”DeCosta said. “They all cost about the same and you go in thinking you’re going to buy the car or you’re not going to buy the car … In the end, they’re all really big contracts. They’re great players. They’re quarterback deals. They are big players and you know that you are going to pay a lot, but you get a lot in return. ‘
On Monday, Prescott agreed to a four-year $ 160 million deal with the Cowboys, including a $ 66 million signing bonus, the highest in NFL history, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Prescott’s average of $ 40 million per year only ranks behind Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ($ 45 million per season).
DeCosta said he has had recent one-on-one talks with Jackson under a long-term deal. But the parties have not yet started formal negotiations and no contract proposals have been exchanged.
“We are confident and committed to trying to secure a long-term deal and hopefully we can get that done sometime in the near future,” said DeCosta. “It may take a while, but we are willing to try.”
Jackson, 24, is entering the final year of his $ 9.5 million four-year rookie contract. He is scheduled to earn $ 1.771 million in 2021 – which is currently ranked 23rd among quarterbacks – after leading the Ravens to the playoffs in each of his three seasons and winning the NFL MVP award in 2019.
Baltimore can technically prevent Jackson from being a free agent at least until the 2023 season if it exercises its fifth-year option and uses the franchise tag. The process of signing franchise quarterbacks can take a long time. It took three years for the Cowboys and Prescott to reach a deal.
But DeCosta said his approach with Jackson won’t change by looking at how the talks with Prescott took place in Dallas.
“Every negotiation is different. Every player is different. Every GM is different,” said DeCosta. “We have a strategy and we have a relationship. Lamar played for three years, and you know what, he’s a good player. We feel really good about him. I think he feels really good about us. It’s up to us. us to get a deal done. “
DeCosta said it did not know whether Jackson will continue to represent himself or hire a broker.
According to DeCosta, he has had a few conversations with Jackson since the end of the season and spent time with him a few weeks ago. DeCosta said they talked about the team, Jackson’s family, and his goals and dreams for the future.
“We laughed a lot,” said DeCosta. “It’s been very healthy and very, very good. We started talking about what a contract might look like, but we haven’t necessarily gotten into all the weeds and nuances of all that stuff, but it is coming a period soon. “
DeCosta added, “We will be as transparent as possible with Lamar. He will be as transparent as possible with us. It will certainly be a good relationship and partnership.”
DeCosta touched on other topics during his 36-minute press conference:
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The Ravens have begun preliminary contract talks with Pro Bowl, Mark Andrews, entering the final year of his rookie contract. “I love everything about Mark – his personality, his ability, his work ethic, behavior, competitiveness,” said DeCosta. “He’s the type of man we want to keep.”
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DeCosta said there is no deadline for a possible exchange of Pro Bowl attacking equipment Orlando Brown Jr., who expressed his desire to play left-wing tackle on social media. “He’s under contract, and he understands that,” DeCosta said. “We’ll do what’s best for Orlando and we’ll do what’s best for the Ravens.”
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The safety complaint about Earl Thomas is ongoing and will not be resolved anytime soon. Thomas was dropped last August after hitting teammate Chuck Clark in practice. If the Ravens win the complaint, they’ll get an additional $ 5 million in cap space. If Baltimore loses, it will take away $ 5 million in caproom.